Peterson C, Li T. Evidence for Economic Evaluations of Athletic Trainer Services.
J Athl Train 2022;
57:632-639. [PMID:
35142843 DOI:
10.4085/1062-6050-0666.21]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Literature suggests athletic trainers (ATs) can help address health needs in a more affordable way across a variety of settings. We aimed to assess if AT services are cost-effective when compared to no AT services or services by other health providers.
DATA SOURCES
We performed a keyword search in 5 databases: Medline (FirstSearch), PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and Google scholar. We also conducted a generic web search to identify any informal sources that may meet the eligibility criteria.
STUDY SELECTION
We used a comprehensive list of terms to search economic evaluation studies on ATs. We included studies that met all the following criteria: economic evaluation studies on AT services; original studies written in English; and published in the last 10 years(2011-present). we excluded studies that examined either only cost or only benefit of AT services.
DATA EXTRACTION
We extracted data using a predefined checklist that included major components of economic evaluation. We also extracted data regarding athletic training practice setting.
RESULTS
We extracted 5 articles in our review, most of which supported the use of AT services as economically viable. The practice settings studied in the articles included two high school settings, two military settings, and a community outreach program that included several practice settings. Only one of the studies used standard economic evaluation methodology and took insurance status into account.
CONCLUSION
Our review shows that AT services can be a cost-effective option for addressing health care needs. However, the literature remains sparse and there was an overall lack of consistency in outcome measures, analytical methods, and reporting practices, which reduced the comparability across studies. Future studies on this topic should address these limitations, which will provide critical economic evidence to inform decision making on investing in AT services across various settings.
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